Andy Burnham Pledges Support for Welsh Labour After Senedd Defeat

Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for a political fightback during the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, pledging to work in lockstep with the party to revive its standing. The effort follows a historic defeat in the May Senedd elections, where Labour fell to third place behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, ending a century of dominance in Welsh politics.

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates described the election results as catastrophic and admitted the party had taken public support for granted. An independent review by Public First attributed the losses to the migration of progressive votes to rivals and the unpopularity of the previous UK government under Keir Starmer, particularly regarding the economy, the cost of living, and the NHS. Skates noted that recovery would not happen overnight and requires re-earning voter trust.

During the conference, Burnham advocated for a reindustrialized nation and proposed extending devolution into local regions and communities. He also criticized the Conservative Party's Brexit deal, asserting that Britain lost more than it gained over the last decade, and pledged to seek better terms for Welsh farmers and exporters. Meanwhile, Reform UK's Welsh leader Helen Jenner dismissed Labour as part of a political establishment that allowed Wales to be impoverished and deindustrialized.